Tensiometer



Oct. 30, 1945.

E. A. BLACK TENSIOMETER Filled Jan.` 10,' 1945 JNVENTOR. lERIC A, BLACK l A\ 1 Mr ATToRNi-:Y

Patented ct. V30, 1945 TENsIoME'rEn e Eric A. Black, Red Bank, N. J.

Application January 10, 1945, SerialNo. 572,203 e e c claims; (o1. 'z3- 143) 1 I'Granteannaer: the act of March s, isss, s

1 UNITED STATES PATENT e amended April 30, 1928; 370,0."` G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon. A i

This invention relates to gauges and more particularly to means for adjusting the tension on guys and the like.

Guys, such as those used to steady tall towers and masts, should preferably be subjectedto a determinable tension, and the tension on the guys on opposite sides should be equalized.

The common practice in `,tightening guys is to adjust them by eye and touch, which obviously is highly unsatisfactory. Some devices for accurately adjusting the tensionof guys have been devised, but have involved relatively complicated mechanisms and meters and in someV instances require that more than one anchorage be installed for each guy. I f

Itis an object of the present invention to provide a tensioning gauge which may be applied to a guy at any conveniently available portion thereof, and which requires no extra anchorages or changes in any parts. Y

I It is a further object to provide such a gauge which may be left in place or removed, as desired, and `which will in no way interfere with the guy, so that the gauge does not become a permanent part of the guy, but may be used on any number of guys.

It is a further object to provide such a gauge which need require no special or expensive parts, but which may be readily fabricated of available materials.

vIn general the preferred embodiment comprises two thin, elongated spring strips of springy material, which are disposed in bows along opposite sides of a guy by a pair of clamps secured to the said guy when in its slack condition. As the guy is stressed, the distance between the clamps increases causing a decrease in the rise of the bows. Such decrease being a function of the tensional stress applied to the guy, the amount of said stress isreadily ascertainable.

For a better understanding of the invention, together 4with further and other objects thereof, reference is had to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and its scope will be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the preferred form of the present invention, in operational position upon a horizontally disposed guy;

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevational view of one of the clamps ofthe gauge shown in Figure 1;`

ordinarily notches I 8 at one end.

Figure 3 'is a plan view of the clamp` of Figi ure 21;

` Figureswl and 5 are further enlarged sectional. views, along the lines 4-4 and 5--5 respectively,`

0f Figure 3;

Figure 6 isla plan view, drawn to the same scale as Figures 4 and 5, of one end of the upper spring.

strip of Figure 3;

Figure '7 is an elevational View ofthe Spring strip of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a plan view of one Vform ofv scalelf which may be' used in connection with the gauge e shown in the other figures.'

The tensioning gauge shown in the drawingv comprises two clamps II and two. spring strips I3. The clamps ,II are securedto aguy` 'I5, as

will hereinafter appear. Each clampI I comprises a pair of stili ilat elongatedplates I 'I of metal, preferably steel, each of which plates is gener` ally rectangular in shape, but has two V-shape The two plates I'I of `each clamp I I are dis-t posed in `spaced parallel 'relationship and are joined by two pressure bolts 2| .and four spacer bolts 22, which -extend through both platesA I1. vand are provided with suitable lock washers and nuts.

Set back a short distance from the ends of the plates Il which are providedV with `the V-notches I9, and interposed between the said plates, are

a pair of spacer blocks 25 (FiguresS and 5). The

spacer blocks e 25 are rectangular slabs, preferably of steel, and are disposed longitudinally .along opposite edges of and between the two plates II.

Each spacer block 25 is pierced by two holes to Areceive, two of the spacer bolts 22. Said spacer blocks 25 are of a greater thickness than the guy I5, and said blocks are spaced from each other a distance greater than the diameter of thesaid guy, so that the guy is entirely free to move lon` gitudinally between said plates and` said spacer"V blocks. l. e Y

Interposed between the plates I'Lsat the other end thereof, are two pressurestrips 423 (Figures 3 and 4) preferably of some relatively soft'metaL suchA Aas soit copper, to avoid injury to the guy I5 which is clamped'therebetween.

plates I1 and are pierced by two holes to receive the pressure bolts 2 I.

spring steel. The ends e (Figures `6 and 7) of said spring strips I3 are cut to form two transverse lateral shoulders and a central tongue `2'I.V "Both",HV

Said pressure strips 23 are disposedtransversely to the able material, such as sheet steel, and is proef.

vided along one edge with a central indentation 33 large enough to receive the guy I5 and with a spring strips I3.

To use the gauge illustrated*V to' measure thev tension applied to a guy I5, one of the clampsI-I is secured to the guy while the latter is in its unstressed state, one plate I1 andorre pressurel strip 23 of said clamp being removed=for this purpose., As the.. pressurelooltsy 2I are then taken up; the pressure strips 23 will tightly grip the guy I5 therebetweenw'he,second clamp I I. is then piaceri uporrthe guy I5' at.. a point. spaced' from the' rst clamp, the V-notches I9 of, the two clamps ,facing each other.y Before the pressure bolts V2 1', of"saidseond" clamp III are tightened,r` the'- clamp is moved to such a positionalong `the guy relativetothe first.. clamp that'y the spring strips I3 maybe put into placeso. that theyjare t outwardlyrbowed with a predetermined Vamczllnt of rise. .The pressure b olts A21 of the. second clamp I'I' are then tightenedto,securesaidj clamp to the guy Vvat that point. In positioning the spring strips, I3', theynare disposed` on' opposite the V^notches I9 of the platelj1K as the spring.. 'strip I3 is .bowed during the operation, of, the gauge. Theend ofthe tongue 2.1 is Aloevelledlso` thatthe tongue will. not impinge against the, guy I5 irrespective of. the amount ,.ofjrise `to which the spring` strips ,I3j are subjected during: opera-,

tion. It is advantageous to have the tonguesas long,A as possible so asV to hold the spring1 strips. |3

in place during theirl installation and, the. oper-.

ation ofthe gaugep I3 may be measuredinany suitablemanner. The

simplestand ypreferred method, when.. apredeterfmined tensionis t0 be appledito a gumistouse the simplesscale. 3l'- shown in Figure; ,8.., When usingjsuch Va scale the second clamp lIjljsjarinl justied to ksuch Ia longitudinal position .alonthe guy I.5 that theI midpoints of. thetwo. bowed, spring Strips I s can slip. intothe tWQ outermost.

slots 35 of said` scale, whereupon said',V secondvl relaxedv guy 15j, but is fastened to. it. at; .onlyg two points, namely, at the nairszcf. pressure. strips .23

The scalel is then'le:

ofiA the two clamps A II.

moved' and -tensional Stressis applied to the sur.

I5. Asv the vtension is. increased .the sur alfstretches The. increase inlengthoflthe guy l5;

between the two sets of'pressurestrips..23u/ill.,

result in.y .a reduction ,in the riseioflthe twespring strips, lf3, ,When the. distancebetween the bows.

has been reducedmo a predetermined amount.v the guy will' havelbeen'` subjected toapredetermined amount of tenSiQrL..ThuS;. the tensienis in;-

creased until the amount of rise hasl been reduced to the proper Value. If the preferred scale 3| aforementioned is used to measure the rise, the stress on the guy I5 will be increased until the midpoints of the spring strips I3 slip into the inner slots 35 of said scale.

In order to ascertain the relationship between the tensionapplied to theguy and the rise of the spring strip; it.is='ilrst necessaryA to. determine the relationship between the said tension and the ..`stretch, due to such tension, of the particular guy being used. This may be done from the formula, plurality of slots 35 wide enough toreceiveptne mathematically TL y All-eu in which` AL is the increase in length, T isfthetension, L is the length, E is the elastic modulus ofthe guy, and A is the cross sectionalV area of the guy.'`l The relationshipbetweenf.the rise ofthev strip and the length of ther gyllyi may'then be; Se certained. from Athe formula;

in which.

s. is the,arc1ength,. Zis the chord, lrerigth,.and 1 f is the rise (or distance..betweenmidpoints of' the, chord, and arc) As, s is the actual length ofthe unbowed; spring-.-

35 strips, it is thereforeralways known..

To.;y illustrate.-, the. procedure, a. gauge. actually, constructed as described above; will. be referred to.: In said.- .embodiment the. .distance betweenfthe pairs of pressure strips 23, with the springstrips I3 unbowed,. was 1.0.0 inches, the `l'errgt'hl of `each spring. strip, from knife .edge Yto knife` edge,A was 55 inches and the transverse.distancebetween(the knife.v edges of` theY two springstrips wasy 2 inches., The guy wire to -be stressed .Wasstrandeda-Wire-f having anY elastic. modulus Vofl.18;000,0.00 pounds per square; inch, and a..I crosssectional;` areal of" .34. square. inch.. It; was desiredtof apple@ a' ten;m sion of 45.00; pounds. toi the guy.

By use ofthe rst.l formula set forth'A above,- itl s l i 4 I if; The properamount. of, bow of. the Spring SINDS :L was ascertained that, 1f a 500 pound tension were applied, the guy .wire between. .pairsl of. pressure strips. 23. would-.bei stretchedV .(l'1f5v inch.y It was@V therefore; decided' tofadjust thespring strips so that their chord length would-loe"` shortervthan their. arc. length,` by an amount sligltttly"greater than.'` said? amountxo-f .0'151 nicht., The amount: chosen was .1.inch.

By using `the second formula;v set forth above, it was found that the rise of v each spring. strip,y

Therefore, the; distancefbetween; themidpointsot 1 the two spring strips would.T be'twicei inches-I plus 2 inches or 47/3 inches. l

When the guy wire,- was.:tensioned,untilt:itsA

length between the pairs. oflpressurestrip's was increased byf .01/5'` inch, the rise of- `each spring 1 strip'-J ascertained by` the secondformulaeset forth-y above, would-be--inch, and the dista-ncebetween s the midpoints of the two springstrfipsf would be Hence, intheuse o-ff saidgaugfe; it- Wasastened to the slack guy wire-so thattiledistancebetween spring strips Was-4% inches.v Tensi-'orlf vilas-thenY` .appliedI to the guywire-umu the distancejhetween spring strips decreasedto VV3% inches;

whereupon it was known that the guy wire was 1 `What is claimed is:

l. Algauge to determine tension upon a guy comprising two clamps adapted to fasten said gauge to said guy at two points, spaced from each other, while the guy intermediate said points is straight, and a spring strip sustainable in the form of a bow by said clamps, the amount of rise of said bow being dependent upon the distance between the said points at which the gauge isfastened and said gauge being removable from said 'guy when the guy is under tension.

2. A gauge to measure tension on a guy comprising `a bowable spring strip, two clamps, each of said clamps being provided with means to grip the guy and means topivotably sustain one end of said spring strip, whereby the two clamps may be secured to the guyat a plurality of positions relative .to each otherythe'amount of bow of the Vspring strip being dependent upon the relative positionsv along the guy of said clamps and said gauge being installable upon and removable from 'said guy without interferring with trie tension on said guy.

3. A gauge to measure tension on a guy comprising two clamps and a spring strip, each of said clamps being provided with means to grip the guy at a particular longitudinal position thereof,` and means to pivotably support one end of the spring strip, said last mentioned means including a substantially V-shaped notch, said spring strip Ybeing an elongated strip of springy material provided with knife edges at both ends, each knife edge being adapted to pivotably ride in one of said notches.

4. A gauge to measure changes in the length of a guy comprising two clamps, each clamp including two members disposed in spaced substantially parallel relationship on opposite sides of Y said guy and two transverse pressure stripsfsei cured between said members and adapted to grip said` guy therebetween, spacer means between said plates to keep them spaced sufficiently to allow the guy to move freely longitudinally therebetween except where gripped by said pressure strips, a notch on each of said clamps, an elongated spring strip of springy material, means on each end of said spring strip adapted to pivotably ride in one of said notches to allow the spring strip to assume a plurality of bowed posi-` tions, a tongue on each end of said spring strip adapted to slidably fit between the two members of each clamp aforesaid to help support said spring strip, and means to measure changes in Y the rise of said spring strip.

5. A gauge to measure tension on a guy corn prising two clamps, and a spring strip, each of said clamps being provided with means to grip the guy at a particular longitudinalposition thereof and meansto pivotably support one end Y of `the `spring strip, said spring'strip being an elongated strip of springy material.

6. A gauge to measure changes inthe length i of a guy comprising two clamps, each clamp including two members disposed in spaced substantially parallel relationship on opposite sides of said guy; means on said clamp adapted to grip said guy; said guy beingfreely movablelon-,A l 

